BC Ferries to install fare gates for passengers and vehicles at big terminals

BC Ferries planning to install fare gates for foot passengers and vehicles at major terminals

Example of fare gates on TransLink's SkyTrain (left) and BC Ferries' Swartz Bay Terminal's queuing area for vehicles (right). (Shutterstock)

With the pandemic’s impacts now largely in the rearview, BC Ferries is looking to make major new upgrades to improve its ability to process foot passengers and vehicles at its busiest ferry terminals.

The ferry corporation has revealed its proposal to overhaul the check-in and boarding processes for both foot passengers and vehicles at the five major ferry terminals of Horseshoe Bay and Tsawwassen in Metro Vancouver, and Swartz Bay, Duke Point, and Departure Bay on Vancouver Island.

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Similar to the fare gates at TransLink’s SkyTrain stations and SeaBus terminals and many other major public transit systems worldwide, fare gates at BC Ferries’ major terminals would introduce a significantly more efficient, digital, and contactless experience for foot passengers when boarding.

Fare gates at a SkyTrain station. (Shutterstock)

Compass Card reader on a TransLink bus. (Shutterstock)

Reserved foot passengers who buy their fare through BC Ferries’ new mobile app or on the website will no longer need to redeem their ticket at a self-serve digital kiosk, and can instead head straight to the fare gates, where they will scan their boarding pass. This will reduce the current lengthy lines for the kiosks and manned ticket booths.

Kiosks at terminals would be replaced with new models linked to the fare gate system, for those who arrive at the terminal without buying a boarding pass online beforehand.

After scanning through the fare gate, foot passengers will proceed to the fare-paid zone to reach the waiting area of a departure berth.

During the boarding process, foot passengers will scan their boarding pass again — this time on a validator, similar to TransLink’s Compass Card readers on buses. This will help ensure an improved foot passenger count and safety.

“Using fare gates to control physical access to the fare paid zone provides a digital check to support employees monitoring the embarkation process and terminal access,” reads the proposal.

Examples of fare gates and fare validators for foot passengers, and the pre-gate vehicle classification system. (BC Ferries)

As for improving the vehicle boarding process, there will be a new fare gate-like system for vehicles, too.

Vehicles approaching the terminal will begin their processing by driving through an automated “pre-gate,” where a new digital based on sensors and cameras will gather information about the vehicle and ticketing status.

This pre-gate vehicle classification system will measure the dimensions of vehicles, allowing staff to safely remain in the ticketing booths. It will also read the vehicle license plate, and identify and retrieve any reservation for the vehicle.

Using electronic signs, vehicles with a reservation will be directed by the digital system to an express booth, while vehicles without a reservation will be directed to a staffed booth.

This new automated digital system will reduce the queues of vehicles with reservations outside the terminal, with processing times for these vehicles reduced from an average of 30 seconds to 40 seconds using the existing labour-dependent system to just 10 seconds or less.

Additionally, vehicles with a reservation can arrive closer to the scheduled sailing time, instead of the current required 30 minutes to 60 minutes window of arrival.

BC Ferries’ Horseshoe Bay Terminal in West Vancouver. (Shutterstock)

BC Ferries asserts the integrated technological overhaul for boarding is required as “the current decentralized and manual processes, capabilities, and resource models used to operate the major terminals were established decades ago and are no longer adequate to maintain operational service and meet customer expectations.”

“Without change, the company’s major terminals will not be adaptable for the future and will not be able to realize efficiencies, resulting in increasing costs and heightened business risks.”

More specifically, the existing kiosks for foot passengers and critical software managing terminal operations are nearing the end of their lifespan, and need to be upgraded or replaced, regardless of whether this project proceeds or not.

The independent British Columbia Ferries Commissioner is currently in the process of reviewing BC Ferries’ proposal and seeking public input.

The ferry corporation has not provided an estimated cost for installing the new digital infrastructure and equipment, but provincial legislation gives the commissioner up to two months to make a final decision on all capital projects with a budget of over $25 million.

Self-serve ticket machine kiosks at BC Ferries’ Swartz Bay Terminal. (Shutterstock)

Manned booths at BC Ferries’ Swartz Bay Terminal. (Shutterstock)

BC Ferries’ Swartz Bay Terminal. (Shutterstock)

If approved by the regulator, the project will be carried out over four years across two phases through late 2027.

Procurement for a contractor and supplier will begin later in Summer 2023, construction on the first phase will begin in Fall 2023, and the launch of the first phase will occur in Fall 2024, after testing.

The first phase would implement the new foot passenger boarding system at Tsawwassen Terminal and the new vehicle boarding system at Duke Point Terminal, along with the corresponding integrated technological upgrades for both terminals. This phased rollout allows BC Ferries to assess the effectiveness of the new digital systems and processes, and adjust accordingly if needed for the remaining major terminals.

The second phase of installation work beginning in 2025 would expand all of the new digital boarding solutions for foot passengers and vehicles and integrated technological upgrades at the Horseshoe Bay, Swartz Bay, and Departure Bay terminals, along with the new vehicle boarding system for Tsawwassen Terminal and the new foot passenger boarding system for Duke Point Terminal.

The ferry corporation states it is not reinventing the wheel with this new boarding system, as it is based on the systems of other terminals and port operators around the world and widespread best practices.

BC Ferries has already been making inroads in digitization. Earlier this year, it launched a new mobile app, allowing passengers to more conveniently make bookings, manage trips, and check current operating conditions.

BC Transit is also currently in the process of rolling out Umo, its new fare payment smart card and mobile app system, for its bus system province-wide, beginning in Victoria.

As well, TransLink is in the process of considering a significant upgrade of the Compass system, including new replacement and additional fare gates, and a software overhaul that would allow for a transition to distance-travelled fares on SkyTrain and SeaBus — replacing the existing three-zone system — and new fare products. Early cost estimates peg the Compass upgrade at over $200 million.

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